You’ll be fine in hostels. They’re designed for young people.
 
As far as safety in Eastern Europe, just be alert (like you would be in a city at home) and you’ll be fine.
 
Cash only? It’s a little irresponsible to bring crazy amounts of cash anywhere with you. Do you have debit card or ATM card? You get the best exchange rate that way and can just take out cash for each day, so you don’t have a ton of cash on you. If you ever got robbed you’d be out all your money for the trip, where as if you get your card stolen you can just cancel it.

You should get into clubs with no problem. The nicer clubs might have some sort of dress code, like decent shoes or whatever.
Don’t get so drunk that you can’t take care of yourself.
I agree about getting the credit card.

Thanks for all the info. I will look into getting a debit card again.

How far in advance should I book plane tickets? It will be about 30 days, and with an intended ~7 cities to visit, I am kind of worried about the logistics—especially since we do not know local train schedules, etc.. Applying to colleges and tying up the loose ends to high school is hectic too, so I’d like to get planning as soon as possible.

Thanks a lot.

Hostels are more fun.



I can’t speak for all European countries on this, but I can tell you from my experience in Southern Europe, most especially France, Spain, and Greece.  I’m pretty sure that Northern Europe (Britain, Germany, Netherlands) should be the same as the Southern countries in this regard.  But Eastern Europe (Russia, Ukraine, etc) might be completely different, I don’t know.  But speaking from my experience:

Europeans dress more formally than Americans do, so there’s no need for European clubs to enforce dress codes.  Not that Europeans overdo it; just use common sense if you want to fit in: nice jeans, nice shoes, and a nice t-shirt are perfectly fine, and no shorts (shorts are not evening-appropriate).  (For chicks, it’s harder to go wrong.  Just look cute.  Does not have to be over the top).  Since all Europeans follow these basic rules anyways, there’s no need to enforce dress codes. I have only come across strict dress codes here in the US, for clubs that weren’t even worth my time and money like in Vegas (but even here in the States, strict dress codes are starting to wane).  I’m sure there’s a club somewhere in Europe that has a strict dress code, but I have never yet come across one.  Only thing I’ve seen was a guy turned away from this one place because he had gym shoes (they probably would have turned away a guy with shorts too).  I always wear nice jeans, black shoes, and just a fitted tshirt with a very simple print.  I get in everywhere in Europe.  MY opinion is, that if it’s got a strict dress code, it’s probably not worth your time.



No.

Just curious on the relevance of you being from Vegas??

Yeah, you should def. add in some E. Europe to the trip, you’d miss out on some great countries if you don’t. Central Europe would be good too – like Czech Rep, Slovenia, Slovakia, Poland, etc.

Ditto what LTB said on hostels – you’ll just have more fun and meet more cool travel companions if you stay in them vs. hotels even if you have the $$. You can always get double/single rooms if you want in hostels if you want the privacy, but you’ll get the benefit of the common rooms, etc.

Well, of course it’s relevant he’s from Vegas.  Vegas has the saddest most pathetic nightlife anywhere in the world…even worse than Los Angeles (imagine that).  All Vegas has got is super-large impersonal clubs with “strict” dress-codes (and I use that term loosely, because while there is strict dress code criteria, people dress very bad, but still within the rules), and you wait forever in line to get in…just to mingle with obnoxious tourists from Mississippi, buy overpriced alcohol, and listen to amateur DJs spin the same top 40 shit you hear on the radio (50 Cent, Eminem, Britney Spears….BARF).  Give me New York, Chicago, Miami, Montreal, or Toronto any day.  Las Vegas ain’t no city…it’s just an overrated rural village whose economy depends on casinos and tricking tourists into visiting the world’s biggest tourist trap.

Poor chap is concerned that Europe might be the same as Vegas.  But rest assured, kiddo.  It’s not. [] 

Haha yeah I said we were from Vegas to give readers an idea of what we know as “tourism”, “vacationing”, the cultural gap that may or may not exist (which I now know definitely does), or even the nightlife scene as luv_the_beach said, but frankly, Vegas sucks if you’re <21.

Interesting to see you’re from Vegas too auher!

hey everyone, new to the site, and im also a 17 year old planning a great and spectacular eurotrip for summer 08. one big question though, will i run into any problems with not being able to get into clubs or bars or anything? being 17?

I don’t have an extensive travel history (compared to these guys) but when i went to Turkey and Ireland (different occasions) I got IDed luckily i was with my uncle and I was able to get in.  Ireland they didnt give a damn.  I was 14 drinkin Guiness with kids younger than e at the pub.  I doubt you’ll have a problem.  Just do what you do in a America-act the part (that being an older LEGAL person).

why dont you fly out of prague instead of going back to munich it might save money on the extra rail pass youll have to buy back to munich.  Other than that looks good.  Do what you feel comfortable doing don’t break your back flying home from a diffferent country you entered.  Its your first time and you might et confused. Good luck

In many European countries, you’re already past the drinking age (16).  In all the others, you’re only 1 year away, but I doubt they’ll enforce it.
 
No, they don’t card.  At least not in most countries.  Being able to see above the bar is good enough for them.  As a general rule of thumb, the drinking age is 16 (and never enforced) in countries where people take a more civilized approach to alcohol: Spain, Germany, Greece, Italy, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria (pretty much, Southern Europe + the German-speaking countries).  Portugal doesn’t even have a minimum age.  In countries where people drink in excess, strictly to get drunk, the age is slightly higher at 18: Britain, Estonia, Sweden, Ireland, Czech, Hungary, Finland (pretty much Northern, Central, and Eastern Europe, minus Poland and the German-speaking countries).  I dont have much experience in the latter, but in the former, I would get into bars and clubs at 15.